Justin Manny

BUTLER TWP — An eight-time shoplifter with nearly a dozen felony convictions is facing new charges.

District Judge Kevin O'Donnell on Tuesday arraigned Justin R. Manny, 37, of Freeport on a felony count of retail theft stemming from an incident last month at a Butler Township convenience store.

Township police allege Manny about 6:50 a.m. May 14 made off with beverages, cereal bars and other food items from the Sheetz on New Castle Road.

The defendant was caught on store surveillance video, according to court documents, taking the merchandise valued at $12.87.

Police noted in their criminal complaint that Manny has eight prior convictions for shoplifting.

In Pennsylvania, retail theft is normally a summary or misdemeanor offense. But it is upgraded to a third-degree felony regardless of the stolen property's value when a suspect has at least two prior convictions for the same crime.

Manny was arrested on Route 68 a short time after leaving the store in a van, police said.

He was placed in Butler County Prison on a pair of bench warrants that were issued in March after he failed to appear at court hearings in unrelated misdemeanor assault and theft cases last year in Butler.

He remains jailed on the warrants as well as for a state parole violation. He is also being held on combined $30,000 bail in connection with the recent shoplifting case and the assault case in 2017.

Court records showed Manny's extensive criminal history includes 11 felonies, all for theft-related offenses in Butler County.